Sat.’s Devo - We Need Change

Read: Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 22:17-19 Solomon was particularly cynical in today’s reading. He did say some things that were worth noting. A good reputation is valuable. We live to die. Wisdom and money are helpful but wisdom is the only one that can bring you life. Some of the silly things Solomon says is that if you are too righteous or too wise and it will destroy you. He finds it unfair that some wicked people die and are honored because they deceived the people by acting like they were righteous. He noticed that when wicked people are not quickly punished, they feel it is safe to do wrong because they got away with it before. He sees that good people are often punished and wicked people are often rewarded. So his remedy to all of this is to have fun; eat, drink and be happy. I think that this attitude has been our country’s downfall. We have looked at the evil and the things that are wrong and felt powerless to do anything so we just looked the other way. Or, we were so busy with our own families and making a living that we didn’t notice what was happening right under our noses. We woke up and now it seems impossible to fix, but it isn’t. We have to get involved and change things. It is not impossible to turn the Titanic but it will take unity and work. Solomon felt that everyone faces the same fate - death, but what Solomon didn’t know was that there is eternity and what we do on this earth matters. Life is our trial; heaven is our reward. This suffering is temporary but eternity is forever and there is no suffering there for the believers. Paul explains this in his third letter to the Corinthians. His second letter, which we don’t have, was a letter of severe rebuke. It was very hard for Paul to write, but he was glad he did because it resulted in a great repentance. They heeded his advise to get rid of the leader that was leading them astray and to get their own lives right. Paul sent Titus to see how they were doing and they received him with open arms. This brought Paul such delight because it proved that they had read and acted on his letter. Solomon talked like he has no hope in people changing or the world changing; Paul gave his life to changing his world - one heart at a time. Lord, help us to have hope for our country, our world and your Word. Repentance and restoration are your words. Redemption is what You do best. We put our hope in Your Word and Your power.